Sew Charming Countdown: August 2014 - July 2015 - Amazon Web ...
Sew Charming Countdown: August 2014 - July 2015 Each month, you have the opportunity to receive a free charm with a single in-store purchase of $50.*(Please scroll down to review program details.) We'll have 12 unique charms for you to collect, one per month, as we countdown to our 10th anniversary in August 2015. For our 10th anniversary, we're designing a custom charm holder just for you! Charms are available on the 1st of the month. We’ll keep track of which charms you’ve received – simply mention at checkout that you’re participating in the Sew Charming Countdown!
March 2015. Rose of Sharon. Our next charm is a nod to all you appliqué artists out there! The Rose of Sharon block has so many variations and is one of the oldest patterns used in Baltimore Album style quilts. My fondness for this block goes way back – prior to owning Sew Inspired. It’s the block I was making when I took an appliqué class with my friend Betty at a Quilter’s Gathering in Nashua, N.H. The class was taught by (the late) Rosemary Makhan from the book Rose Sampler Supreme and it was when appliqué finally “clicked” for me. Rosemary used a method of glue basting to freezer paper for her hand appliqué and while I’ve never been able to master needle turn, this method worked for me. I’ve used it for hand appliqué since. While I once dreamed of making a Baltimore Album quilt, I was cured of ever having to actually do it when I experienced the exhibit in Houston the year Ellie Sienkiewicz was the Silver Star Salute quilter. After seeing these breathtaking quilts, I decided the last thing the world needed was a mediocre one made by me. I’ve done very little hand appliqué since finishing my Rose Sampler quilt top (yes, over 11 years later it’s still just a top) but I’ve done quite a bit of machine appliqué and have recently started to hand appliqué with wool. I’m so excited to be leading our new Stitching Society Club starting in April. Those of you who participated in our Roses of Remembrance BOM several years ago have many beautiful batik variations of this block and I’m hopeful one of these quilts will surface finished when we celebrate our anniversary in August. Whether you appliqué by hand or machine (or not at all and just admire it), I hope you enjoy this month’s charm! (My Rose Sampler quilt top made with Thimbleberries fabric, 2004)
February 2015. Lemoyne Star. Our next charm is another traditional star block! We chose this charm because of its “colorwheel” look; it’s a symbol of the signature display in our shop – our color wall and blender/basic wall. When you walk down this main aisle, you travel from ROYGBIV in the blenders to ROYGBIV in the color wall. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. A rainbow fabric palette. In my former life as an art student and graphic designer, I was “trained” in color theory and learned my way around a color wheel so I have confidence when talking about hue, value, shades, tints, etc. I recognize that it’s not something every quilter has studied and sometimes putting the colors together is your biggest challenge. The best resource in my opinion? Josef Albers’s Interaction of Color. You may not want to spring the $100+ to own this resource but there are so many books on color – for artists and quilters - and I recommend you add some to your library. I was thrilled when Joen Wolfrom’s Color Play was re-released this past fall. And we personally adore one of the featured quilters in this new edition, Timna Tarr. Timna is teaching a color class for us later in February and based on your initial response, I expect we’ll invite her back as often as she’s willing to teach!
January 2015. Little Red Schoolhouse. Our next charm is a favorite traditional block! We chose this charm to symbolize our commitment to providing the best in education along with the products and inspiration you expect from a full service Quilt Shop. In the last six months, we’ve focused resources specifically on developing a comprehensive class program that includes national and local quilting celebrities, new teachers who are pattern designers and professionals in the industry, and classes for kids. In 2015 we’re launching a machine quilting education initiative – whether you quilt on a domestic machine or long arm system we’ll help you build your skills. We have 9 machine quilting class opportunities in the first 3 months alone! Our Learn to Quilt and Skill Builder classes are classics. Education is one of our core values – we take classes, too! At Quilt Market, Quilt Festival, MQX, quilt shows and quilt guilds. We won’t stop learning – so we can keep on teaching. Thank goodness you don’t have to take classes in a little red schoolhouse; our spacious studio is one of the best classrooms around. We hope to see you in it in 2015!
December 2014. Modern Quilt Block. Our next charm is a non-traditional block! We chose this charm to symbolize our early adoption of the modern quilt movement. The Modern Quilt Guild was founded in 2009. "We define modern quilts as quilts that are functional, include bold colors, and are inspired by modern design. Minimalism, asymmetry, expansive negative space, and alternate grid work are often a part of modern quilt compositions, as are improvisational piecing and solid fabrics." From the day we opened, we’ve carried an extensive and eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary fabrics. Amy Butler and Lynette Jenson happily cohabitated; we didn’t discriminate. But, when we noticed a trend toward using solid fabrics, we were quick to invest in 150 colors. We’ve paid close
attention to new divisions of old fabric companies: Cotton & Steel (a division of RJR), Dear Stella (a division of Timeless Treasures), Kanvas (a division of Benartex), etc. Whether you define your quilting style as modern or traditional, your fabric stash as reproduction or contemporary, we want to help you make quilts. They’re all beautiful.
November 2014. Flower Basket. Our 4th charm in the Sew Charming Countdown series is the Flower Basket. This charm commemorates our very first Saturday Sampler program, Bountiful Baskets, which we began in 2010. We offered the quilt blocks in batiks and reproduction fabrics. Remember these quilts?
When we began this program, we decided that we wouldn’t focus on teaching the construction of the block, but rather provide “edutainment” in the form of a monthly program that was a mini class or demo. Over the years, we’ve taught you about needles (my personal favorite – and the only one we’ve repeated), threads, batting and other interfacing products, Creative Grids tools, countless gadgets that help you with specific projects, bag techniques, garment sewing, and more. This is the event that taught us about community. We learned to celebrate your accomplishments (show & tell!) and we’ve seen so many of you improve your piecing skills over the years. It’s been a privilege to quilt along with you through the years. After 50+ of these monthly programs we’re still going strong!
October 2014. Storm at Sea. An interesting old scriptural-based pattern, it depicts the rolling waves of a stormy sea with its wave-like imagery. The movement in the quilt is created by the juxtaposition of square and rectangular blocks and there is an illusion of curved piecing. In 2004, while I was contemplating giving up a corporate career in which I had worked so hard to attain status and financial success, in order to open a quilt shop, my pastor loaned me a book that was life changing. Reading If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat, by John Ortberg, convinced me that I did not want to live a life of regret. That decision required
having the faith to embark on a new adventure instead of being fearful that I would not succeed. Another great book I would recommend is Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking, by David Bayles and Ted Orland. It is a must read! The Storm at Sea block makes me think of the water walking I’ve done – and the fear I’ve overcome, as an artist and entrepreneur – but it’s also a slightly humorous reminder of what it felt like in the early years: constant movement while giving the illusion of knowing everything about owning and running a quilt shop!
September 2014. Flower Garden. Here’s why we chose this charm: When I think of September, I think of “back to school.” And when I think of back to school, I think of Lois (Lanie) Neumann, a beloved friend and teacher. And when I think of Lanie, I remember her amazing Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt she was hand piecing – English Paper Piecing with hexagons – in her favorite “palette” of 1930s prints. Lanie passed away this past spring and we miss her. She was instrumental in establishing the Learn to Quilt program at Sew Inspired and over several years, she helped many new quilters complete their first quilt. Lanie loved to teach and gather with other quilters. Her TNT (Thursday Night Therapy) classes and sew-ins were well attended. We called her quilters “Lanie’s Peeps” and enjoyed seeing the works in progress each week. Lanie was always upbeat and positive – she loved all her students, whether they were the high school kids she taught as her vocation or the quilters she taught as her passionate hobby. And we loved her. We dedicate this month’s charm to Lanie and hope the Flower Garden quilt she began is finished one day for her daughters and brings comfort and joy to her family.
August 2014. We’re kicking of our Sew Charming Countdown with the classic Friendship Star quilt block. This charm is of one of the most classic and versatile star blocks – made in a nine patch layout with squares and triangles. Here’s why we chose this charm: When Sew Inspired opened its doors on August 6, 2005 it was the result of a friendship, a shared dream and a huge leap of faith! Deb Jacoby and Viv Lazich met as neighbors and ice skated together for many years until, ‘We reached the level where both feet had to leave the ice at the same time for jumps, and we traded in our blades for safer ones – rotary cutters.’ While traveling together to various quilt shops to purchase fabric, they talked about the possibility of owning their own shop. At Viv’s urging they attended Quilt Market as prospective retailers in October 2003, while both were working in a corporate environment – Deb in project management and Viv in marketing and communications. In late 2004, Viv decided that her next career step was in fact business ownership and Deb opted for early retirement to join her as partner. The Friendship Star block was auditioned for the shop logo. (Ultimately, the Sawtooth Star block was chosen for the final logo.) Though Deb “retired” from ownership in 2010, she returned as a part time employee and lead teacher for Sew Inspired’s Learn to Quilt Program. The friendship remains strong – and so
many more friendships have been formed! As the shop enters its tenth year, we celebrate all those friendships.
*Program Details: $50 purchase is pre-tax; applies to non-sale, product purchases only. Does not include services, gift cards, classes or already discounted products. No exceptions. Limited quantities are available. Charms are available each month on the first of the month. They are available free while supplies last. No IOUs or reserved charms. 1 charm per customer, per month. We will not hold products for customers beyond the normal 3-day hold. If you want to “complete” your collection at the conclusion of the program, we will order your missing charms next July (subject to availability) and you may purchase them for the retail price of $5.25 each.
March 2015. Rose of Sharon. Our next charm is a nod to all you appliqué artists out there! The Rose of Sharon block has so many variations and is one of the oldest patterns used in Baltimore Album style quilts. My fondness for this block goes way back – prior to owning Sew Inspired. It’s the block I was making when I took an appliqué class with my friend Betty at a Quilter’s Gathering in Nashua, N.H. The class was taught by (the late) Rosemary Makhan from the book Rose Sampler Supreme and it was when appliqué finally “clicked” for me. Rosemary used a method of glue basting to freezer paper for her hand appliqué and while I’ve never been able to master needle turn, this method worked for me. I’ve used it for hand appliqué since. While I once dreamed of making a Baltimore Album quilt, I was cured of ever having to actually do it when I experienced the exhibit in Houston the year Ellie Sienkiewicz was the Silver Star Salute quilter. After seeing these breathtaking quilts, I decided the last thing the world needed was a mediocre one made by me. I’ve done very little hand appliqué since finishing my Rose Sampler quilt top (yes, over 11 years later it’s still just a top) but I’ve done quite a bit of machine appliqué and have recently started to hand appliqué with wool. I’m so excited to be leading our new Stitching Society Club starting in April. Those of you who participated in our Roses of Remembrance BOM several years ago have many beautiful batik variations of this block and I’m hopeful one of these quilts will surface finished when we celebrate our anniversary in August. Whether you appliqué by hand or machine (or not at all and just admire it), I hope you enjoy this month’s charm! (My Rose Sampler quilt top made with Thimbleberries fabric, 2004)
February 2015. Lemoyne Star. Our next charm is another traditional star block! We chose this charm because of its “colorwheel” look; it’s a symbol of the signature display in our shop – our color wall and blender/basic wall. When you walk down this main aisle, you travel from ROYGBIV in the blenders to ROYGBIV in the color wall. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. A rainbow fabric palette. In my former life as an art student and graphic designer, I was “trained” in color theory and learned my way around a color wheel so I have confidence when talking about hue, value, shades, tints, etc. I recognize that it’s not something every quilter has studied and sometimes putting the colors together is your biggest challenge. The best resource in my opinion? Josef Albers’s Interaction of Color. You may not want to spring the $100+ to own this resource but there are so many books on color – for artists and quilters - and I recommend you add some to your library. I was thrilled when Joen Wolfrom’s Color Play was re-released this past fall. And we personally adore one of the featured quilters in this new edition, Timna Tarr. Timna is teaching a color class for us later in February and based on your initial response, I expect we’ll invite her back as often as she’s willing to teach!
January 2015. Little Red Schoolhouse. Our next charm is a favorite traditional block! We chose this charm to symbolize our commitment to providing the best in education along with the products and inspiration you expect from a full service Quilt Shop. In the last six months, we’ve focused resources specifically on developing a comprehensive class program that includes national and local quilting celebrities, new teachers who are pattern designers and professionals in the industry, and classes for kids. In 2015 we’re launching a machine quilting education initiative – whether you quilt on a domestic machine or long arm system we’ll help you build your skills. We have 9 machine quilting class opportunities in the first 3 months alone! Our Learn to Quilt and Skill Builder classes are classics. Education is one of our core values – we take classes, too! At Quilt Market, Quilt Festival, MQX, quilt shows and quilt guilds. We won’t stop learning – so we can keep on teaching. Thank goodness you don’t have to take classes in a little red schoolhouse; our spacious studio is one of the best classrooms around. We hope to see you in it in 2015!
December 2014. Modern Quilt Block. Our next charm is a non-traditional block! We chose this charm to symbolize our early adoption of the modern quilt movement. The Modern Quilt Guild was founded in 2009. "We define modern quilts as quilts that are functional, include bold colors, and are inspired by modern design. Minimalism, asymmetry, expansive negative space, and alternate grid work are often a part of modern quilt compositions, as are improvisational piecing and solid fabrics." From the day we opened, we’ve carried an extensive and eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary fabrics. Amy Butler and Lynette Jenson happily cohabitated; we didn’t discriminate. But, when we noticed a trend toward using solid fabrics, we were quick to invest in 150 colors. We’ve paid close
attention to new divisions of old fabric companies: Cotton & Steel (a division of RJR), Dear Stella (a division of Timeless Treasures), Kanvas (a division of Benartex), etc. Whether you define your quilting style as modern or traditional, your fabric stash as reproduction or contemporary, we want to help you make quilts. They’re all beautiful.
November 2014. Flower Basket. Our 4th charm in the Sew Charming Countdown series is the Flower Basket. This charm commemorates our very first Saturday Sampler program, Bountiful Baskets, which we began in 2010. We offered the quilt blocks in batiks and reproduction fabrics. Remember these quilts?
When we began this program, we decided that we wouldn’t focus on teaching the construction of the block, but rather provide “edutainment” in the form of a monthly program that was a mini class or demo. Over the years, we’ve taught you about needles (my personal favorite – and the only one we’ve repeated), threads, batting and other interfacing products, Creative Grids tools, countless gadgets that help you with specific projects, bag techniques, garment sewing, and more. This is the event that taught us about community. We learned to celebrate your accomplishments (show & tell!) and we’ve seen so many of you improve your piecing skills over the years. It’s been a privilege to quilt along with you through the years. After 50+ of these monthly programs we’re still going strong!
October 2014. Storm at Sea. An interesting old scriptural-based pattern, it depicts the rolling waves of a stormy sea with its wave-like imagery. The movement in the quilt is created by the juxtaposition of square and rectangular blocks and there is an illusion of curved piecing. In 2004, while I was contemplating giving up a corporate career in which I had worked so hard to attain status and financial success, in order to open a quilt shop, my pastor loaned me a book that was life changing. Reading If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat, by John Ortberg, convinced me that I did not want to live a life of regret. That decision required
having the faith to embark on a new adventure instead of being fearful that I would not succeed. Another great book I would recommend is Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking, by David Bayles and Ted Orland. It is a must read! The Storm at Sea block makes me think of the water walking I’ve done – and the fear I’ve overcome, as an artist and entrepreneur – but it’s also a slightly humorous reminder of what it felt like in the early years: constant movement while giving the illusion of knowing everything about owning and running a quilt shop!
September 2014. Flower Garden. Here’s why we chose this charm: When I think of September, I think of “back to school.” And when I think of back to school, I think of Lois (Lanie) Neumann, a beloved friend and teacher. And when I think of Lanie, I remember her amazing Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt she was hand piecing – English Paper Piecing with hexagons – in her favorite “palette” of 1930s prints. Lanie passed away this past spring and we miss her. She was instrumental in establishing the Learn to Quilt program at Sew Inspired and over several years, she helped many new quilters complete their first quilt. Lanie loved to teach and gather with other quilters. Her TNT (Thursday Night Therapy) classes and sew-ins were well attended. We called her quilters “Lanie’s Peeps” and enjoyed seeing the works in progress each week. Lanie was always upbeat and positive – she loved all her students, whether they were the high school kids she taught as her vocation or the quilters she taught as her passionate hobby. And we loved her. We dedicate this month’s charm to Lanie and hope the Flower Garden quilt she began is finished one day for her daughters and brings comfort and joy to her family.
August 2014. We’re kicking of our Sew Charming Countdown with the classic Friendship Star quilt block. This charm is of one of the most classic and versatile star blocks – made in a nine patch layout with squares and triangles. Here’s why we chose this charm: When Sew Inspired opened its doors on August 6, 2005 it was the result of a friendship, a shared dream and a huge leap of faith! Deb Jacoby and Viv Lazich met as neighbors and ice skated together for many years until, ‘We reached the level where both feet had to leave the ice at the same time for jumps, and we traded in our blades for safer ones – rotary cutters.’ While traveling together to various quilt shops to purchase fabric, they talked about the possibility of owning their own shop. At Viv’s urging they attended Quilt Market as prospective retailers in October 2003, while both were working in a corporate environment – Deb in project management and Viv in marketing and communications. In late 2004, Viv decided that her next career step was in fact business ownership and Deb opted for early retirement to join her as partner. The Friendship Star block was auditioned for the shop logo. (Ultimately, the Sawtooth Star block was chosen for the final logo.) Though Deb “retired” from ownership in 2010, she returned as a part time employee and lead teacher for Sew Inspired’s Learn to Quilt Program. The friendship remains strong – and so
many more friendships have been formed! As the shop enters its tenth year, we celebrate all those friendships.
*Program Details: $50 purchase is pre-tax; applies to non-sale, product purchases only. Does not include services, gift cards, classes or already discounted products. No exceptions. Limited quantities are available. Charms are available each month on the first of the month. They are available free while supplies last. No IOUs or reserved charms. 1 charm per customer, per month. We will not hold products for customers beyond the normal 3-day hold. If you want to “complete” your collection at the conclusion of the program, we will order your missing charms next July (subject to availability) and you may purchase them for the retail price of $5.25 each.
